Is this a step forward for plus sized women or a step back as usual for all women-kind?

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/02/0...usaolp00001348

I don't know that it is really either. There's good and bad from this. The good - yes, it's a plus sized model in SI for the first time ever. The bad? Even as a plus sized model, this woman has curves and an overall body shape that is simply unattainable for most women. She still appears to have flawless skin, big boobs, no stretch marks, etc. etc. etc. She is more representative of the average woman, but she's not the "every woman" if that makes sense.

As Americans we just put so much stock into our appearance based on what we see in magazines, when the reality is we probably won't ever be able to look that way and we need to be able to accept our bodies for the beautiful bodies they are. But it's a hard thing to do when you're surrounded by perfection in the media.

I'm happy about this particular model however there's another that's trending as "plus size" and I feel she's unintentionally sending a message that it's okay to be morbidly obese. Not saying society should fat shame, but advertising shouldn't encourage to be a size 26 any more than they should encourage a size 0.

Keep in mind that she's 6' 2" and they still touch up photos/video. I'm sure she has flaws just like everyone else.

To me being a size 12 doesn't seem unattainable at all. It's all relative I guess.

Yes, that's my point. Regardless of size, even with touch-ups we make women in magazines look like something that's hard for anyone to achieve (even if it isn't reallly how this women looks).

And I didn't mean her size is unattainable (this woman is a size 14/16 btw and 5'9", I think you are thinking about the other woman who will also be in SI). I meant her shape. Unlike when I was a size 16, she has a gorgeous waistline, not a big protruding belly. She has a prominent chin, whereas I had a double chin. Know what I mean? Yes, again, some of it may be photoshopped, but she still represents the "ideal" plus size body rather than reality for most of us.

PLUS SIZED.... in what world? I'd kill to have her body...

Nova - are you referring to Tess Holliday/Munster? I don't get that at all from her. She's sending a message to love yourself and your body, no matter how big, small, lumpy, curvy, fat, skinny, or "imperfect" it might be. She has a personal trainer that she sees 4 times a week. She lives a healthy lifestyle. I think society should encourage EVERYONE to be happy no matter where they are in their journey.

Theres no way she weighs 170. I wish they'd be honest with their weights. Shes gorgeous, but I'm an inch taller, a size 14 and i can tell you shes got to be at least 190. Between the air brushing and unrealistic editing...we really aren't going to do anything to promote body image of women. Im glad they're at least recruiting non-waifs in the modeling world now.

I found a promotional video of this model in question (the 5'9", size 14 one) in a swimsuit and I doubt they photoshopped every frame of this video. It does give a better sense of her body, I think. I can't be bothered to find it now but I'm sure it isn't hard to spot. I think she still looks pretty good.

I don't care what some say, the waif was never sexy. Men have always preferred shapely women. I have heard the term waist-to-hip ratio mentioned lately, 0.7-0.8 is the number I hear, and you can get that at many different sizes.

I had a girlfriend who was built pretty much exactly like her and think she had a lot of the same challenges, complaining about clothes not fitting or hard to find, always being a bigger girl and the like. Thing is, I really don't think her size was unhealthy in any way. It has been shown to be far healthier to have weight in your bottom than other places, and BMI and other measures make no allowance for any of these factors.

That said, it's good to strive to be healthy, but I do fear that the sense of vanity might miss the mark sometimes. It's been shown that what men like and what women think men like are vastly different.

Waif? *sigh

This is an unfair thing to say and totally besides the point. There's all kinds of body shapes in this world and it's foolish to think that only "shapely" women find mates. Nobody here is arguing whether or not this woman is beautiful because she is and by a lot of standards.

I just think it's incredibly sad that we are still selling women's bodies to sell merchandise. This may as well have been soft porn.

Also, this was just an advertisement in sports illustrated, it wasn't a spread so technically there are still no plus sized models in SI.

There actually will be a "plus sized model" in this issue. Robyn Lawley, who wears a size 12 (I don't know in what world she is a Size 12 because she certainly doesn't look it), but even she says it's ridiculous to call her plus sized.

I guess "they" (the fashion industry?) consider anything a size 8 and above to be "plus sized."

In hindsight, I think the idea of plus size is ridiculous anyway. All women's clothing sizes should all be sold in the same section in stores like they do in the UK (I've heard). I know that patterns change as sizes get bigger, but do they really have to put them in a separate section?

I know I know! It's so demoralizing to look for the plus sized section in Macy's around here. All women's clothing is on the 3rd and 4th floors, yet "Women's" is on the 7th floor next to Coats. At Bloomingdale's the Women's section is next to kitchen appliances. At other department stores I've seen the plus size sections near the furniture departments, or luggage. Jeez even the Juniors section gets to be near the skinny women's clothing.

I am not clever enough to put something in my post that may be read between the lines... I'm pretty literal that way I never said that only certain women find mates. Just because we like one body type does not mean we don't also like others.

I'm trying to see this thing as like a "baby steps" forward. Maybe I'm too soft. But I actually like the model. Yeah, Its air brushed and still photo shopped, but I know that. She's still a bigger(normal) sized model and I think the more we like this stuff, the more we get. Too quick to nitpick everything... And I do t know. I feel like we are quicker to sabatoge somebody trying to do something good because its not perfect then we are to actually sabatoge people doing wrong.

Dove's real beauty campaign, for example. It still fell short... They still used Photoshop and everything else. It was still all about buying their products (they're a company after all, they need you to buy their stuff). But, even if the motive wasn't 100% pure, the dedication wasn't all there, they were STILL doing better than companies who said "You look like **** now. Buy this." At least "You are beautiful! Buy this." Was a more positive message. Now, I don't see anymore real beauty stuff from dove anymore. Tonmucb back lash. Maybe if we embraced it more, other comapines would have risen to the occasion, and started changing. And maybe wed start to see a competition for change, to out do each other. Photo shop dissapearing, models becoming realistic. Like miracle on 34th street only in advertising XD

I'm still young though and a bit of an optimist, so I admit ai don't know what I'm talking about or if the world really works that way.

Personally, I love to see plus sized, even extremely, super morbidly obese models wearing pretty clothes and smiling for the camera.

Positively portrayed fat models and celebrities do not send the message that obesity is to be admired and encouraged, it only sends the message that if you are obese, it does not forfeit your right to wear pretty clothes and be happy. Obesity DOES NOT forfeit your right to exist and have joy and even romance in your life.


Any time you see a happy-looking fat woman, people beging bashing her for "encouraging obesity."

Sometimes it seems that if you're a very fat woman, you're accused of promoting obesity just because you're not walking around in gray polyesyer, with mascara stained tears running down your face and a razor blade held to your wrist.

God forbid even so much as a single fat woman have joy and confidence in her appearance let alone a great career and a sexy boyfriend, because somehow that is going to make everyone want to be fat.

For every fat-positive message out-there, there are a million anti-fat messages. No one's going to think obesity is fantastic just because they see a couple, or even a couple hundred super-fat ladies wearing nice clothes and having a good time.

What they might think is that they actually deserve a real life and have a right to participate in the world, loving, laughing, dancing, exercising, and living life to the fullest rather than having an obligation to hide at home to protect "decent folk" from the horrific sight of fatness.

There are still hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of women who are too ashamed of their bodies to go to a weight loss club meeting or an exercise class or god forbid, a swimming pool, because their bodies aren't perfect.

And if you happen to be a very fat person who doesn't hide at home, doesn't mope around constantly depressed, you're accused of supporting, encouraging, and glamorizing obesity. You don't even have to be a celebrity, just a fat woman acting as though you have every right in the world to be at the beach or the YMCA in a swimsuit, and you're suddenly a social criminal, somehow advocating obesity.

Obesity is apparently so glamorous, exciting and totally awesome that seeing a single fat woman enjoying her life publicly and not on the brink of suicide is somehow going to make every woman in America want to be as fat as possible.